'Ocean liner' and 'cruise ship' are often used interchangeably but they are different things. Although the two share a number of similarities there are also some fundamental differences which affect...

If you are considering a cruise with Marella you may be wondering if formal nights are part of the cruise experience. I've been on two cruises with Marella and was surprised by how relaxed the...

If you are a smoker (or want to avoid smoke when you cruise) you may be wondering which cruise lines allow smoking on their balconies. I've cruised with 12 cruise lines to date and only 1 has allowed...

On most cruise lines an automatic gratuity will be added to your onboard account to cover tips for the staff. Increasingly cruise lines are including this in the cruise fare. I've cruised with a...

If you are considering a cruise with Costa cruise line you might be wondering what is included in the cruise fare. I recently took my first Costa cruise and learnt a lot. During this post we will...

Cruises are often advertised as 'all inclusive' but this all inclusive fare rarely includes alcohol. There are a number of cruise lines, however, that do. In this post we will be looking at the...